by Betty Bardswich
SPRING BAY—It is always a treat to visit Quintina’s Clothier and Guest House in Spring Bay and to chat with the charismatic owners as you browse. Rick and Diane Zimmerman opened the store a few years ago in the building that used to host Shelagh’s Interiors and their focus was on new and gently used clothing. The Zimmermans have now gone in a different direction and the new store is delightful.
As Ms. Zimmerman explained, there are quite a few stores on the Island doing clothing sales and doing a good job, including Everything Under the Sun, Treasures at Manitoulin Family Resources and others in Gore Bay and Manitowaning. She will still carry clothes, but now also carries Garbo jewellery, journals, reading glasses, imported cheese and olive oil from an area near Ms. Zimmerman’s village, as well as candies for adults, jams, honeys, and candles that were featured in Cottage Life magazine, coffee cups and glass dishes and espresso. There are Pristine wine vinegars for sale in raspberry, maple syrup and blueberry flavours and llama felted covered soaps from Feather’s Farm here on Manitoulin. Ms. Zimmerman also noted that they will be bringing in a line of coffee and more cheeses all the time. Also available is Italian biscotti and fruit spreads made without sugar as well as Mandy’s cookies in coconut, dark chocolate and lemon flavours. The chocolate bars have cocoa ranging from 70 percent to 85 percent and come in chili, orange and mint flavours and some are sugar free. They are made in Italy. There are also many tea towels for sale with sayings such as, ‘a good day at the cabin begins with sunrise and ends with a smile,’ ‘an old bear and his honey live here,’ ‘good friends don’t let you do stupid things alone,’ ‘we interrupt this marriage to bring you deer season’ and ‘you’re on island time.’
There is a large selection of cheeses in Quintina’s ranging from extra aged white cheddar with horseradish, wine cheddar with claret, and Italian Belleirtano gold , a gold medal winner, as well as espresso and raspberry. Also available is the Five Brothers award winning cheese from Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese in Woodstock. Another offering, Comte Fort des Rousses, is made from the milk of the white and red Mantbeliarde cows in the Jura mountain region of France and is the most popular AOC cheese in that country. AOC stands for Appellation d’origine Controlee, which means it is under a controlled destination of origin, is held to high standards and is produced in an unfailing and traditional manner.
The Zimmermans also sell a Bavarian blue cheese which is a recently invented hybrid product. It is very spreadable and is excellent with fresh fruit or on French bread or a neutral cracker.
The store features espresso coffee for sale and a comfortable sitting area to relax, drink your coffee and chat with the Zimmermans who will also show you the many products they have for sale from Peru and Honduras. All monies earned from these products go back to the place of origin and Ms. Zimmerman is happy to talk about her missionary friend Mary Pinkston who calls Guelph home, but whose parents have long held a cottage on Perivale Road. Ms. Pinkston’s grandfather was John Howard Blair, who started the Pentecostal camp on Lake Kagawong. She works for SIM, the Serving in Mission organization, and brings products to Quintina’s that are made by female prisoners in the Santa Monica prison in Lima, Peru. These items include beautiful bracelets and earrings, and handmade purses and clutches of various sizes.
Randy and Judy Lundrigan also have products for sale at the store. They are Directors of Schools of Hope, part of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada and the objects come from Tegucigalpa, Honduras where over 1,200 children are ministered. Their items include carved wooden boxes, pens, hand embroidered doilies for bread baskets and toys.
Ms. Zimmerman mentioned that a customer had said that Quintina’s is the perfect place to pick up a hostess gift. She was absolutely right. As well as several things for yourself. This is one store you don’t want to miss. For more information, go to quintinas.com, email quintinas@live.ca or call 705-377-7852.
